


With You

by romanee



Series: Heart Exchange [4]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Heart Exchange Au, M/M, Mild Gore, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 02:06:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17951597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanee/pseuds/romanee
Summary: The first time Jeremy met Matt in elementary school, he knew he had a forever friend.When they first started dating, as childish as it was, he knew Matt was all he’d ever want.When he told Matt, at the tender age of thirteen, his best friend turned bright red. He reached for Matt’s hand and swung them. They walked in silence the rest of the way back to Jeremy’s house, but Matt never let go of his hand. And once they were in the warmth of Jeremy’s house, Matt tugged on his arm before he could walk away.“Really?”“Really, really.”Matt’s hand squeezed Jeremy’s tighter, his voice cracking while he tried to hide it behind a cough. “Cool.”





	With You

**Author's Note:**

> Another where this is the first time writing these two as the main focus in a fic, hope I've done them justice in some way ;;v;; this one is more oriented around past stuff.  
> There is a small nsfw bit near the end~  
> Nadia Zhurova (Dr. Z) is my oc!
> 
> Title's from a small part of lyrics from: Only Be Me by DROELOE <3 (all their music is bomb af def rec it~)

When he had Matt’s heart–his jar–in his hands and an ache in his chest from his surgery, Jeremy cried. Next to him in his own bed pushed closer to his own so they could reach out to at the very least hold hands, Matt sniffed and hummed around a breathless laugh. In his hands, Jeremy watched Matt’s heart beat a little bit faster and wiped his eyes as he turned toward Matt who was already looking at his with the worst, sweetest smile Jeremy had ever seen and laughed. More tears ran down his face as he clung onto the jar with one hand while the other reached out toward Matt. 

Their hands met, and Jeremy squirmed.   

“Think she’ll be upset if I’m not in my bed?”  

“I don’t know, man. Only one way to find out.” Matt tugged on his hand. “But really, I doubt she’ll be too upset.”  

Matt let go of his hand, moving his jar around so it was seated in his lap so he could scoot over some to give Jeremy some room. Moving the jar onto a safer place on the bed where he wouldn’t knock it over, Jeremy shimmied around and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, mindful of his still healing chest, and hopped off the bed. Wincing, he let out a shaky breath and let the burning subside before he grabbed his jar and hobbled to Matt’s bed.  

Handing him his jar, Jeremy waited till both jars were out of the way from being jostled too much then climbed onto the bed with Matt’s help. Both of them groaning as their wounds stung from too much movement.  

Once Jeremy was settled, Matt got their jars, and with some more moving around, they managed to squeeze the two jars between them. Almost like how parents would lay around their child–or so Jeremy assumed, the comparison alone made him feel more embarrassed than anything he and Matt had ever been caught doing. As they laid in silence, Jeremy couldn't stop the laughter bubbling in his throat.     

“What?”  

“Surreal, isn't it?”  

“I’ll be honest, fucking unreal.” Matt’s words faded into laughter of his own, both of them giggling like children, but when they settled Matt shifted, taking his hand. “But yeah. It’s crazy we actually did it. Not that I doubted you or us, but after having to listen to people say, for so long: ‘logically, you guys won’t last’ hurt.” He lifted Jeremy’s hand, kissing the back of it like a romantic dummy. “From here on out, we’ve gotta be responsible boyfriends and shit. Keep each other safe, but! On the bright side, besides y’know, having done the whole exchange, no school for a while!” 

Jeremy snorted, “Yeah, no school for a while.”  

With that, Jeremy did his best to cuddle closer to Matt despite their jars laying between them. Before he knew it, Matt dozed off, snoring lightly, and the last thing Jeremy thought before letting sleep take him was:  

 _Fuck everyone who had, and who’ll continue to tell us we’re too young._    

- 

The last thing Jeremy wanted to do after a night of eating way too much food was getting up at the ass crack of dawn for work; but all the same, if he didn’t love what he did, he would’ve ended up doing something different a long time ago. Rolling over onto his side, Jeremy rubbed his hands over his face as he tried to worm out of Matt’s light hold. Which looked more like him wiggling around like a dead fish, it was a miracle he didn’t elbow his boyfriend in the face.  

As his moving around got more pronounced, Matt attempted to pull him closer and curl around him, but Jeremy knew if he let him, he’d end up not leaving the bed at all. Taking a deep breath, Jeremy forced himself up and crawled over Matt, mumbling to himself about one day dragging him to the gym with him. It had happened a few times back in college after their exchange because Matt, on his own volition, wanted to tag along so he could spend more time with Jeremy.  

 _“Dude, come on... it’s not that crazy.”_  

_“Matt,” Jeremy grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him down to his height, “Matt, you just said you wanted to come to the gym with me. Are you sure everything's okay? No weird bullying shit I should know about??!”_

_“Nope, just wanna go with.” His eyes darted around the room, his right hand subconsciously rubbing over his chest, and Jeremy narrowed his eyes._  

_“It is someone, isn't it?”_

_This time Matt sighed, slumping forward in a way that contorted his body so he could lean his forehead against Jeremy’s shoulder._

_“No... every–everything’s fine, it’s just me.”_

_“You what?”_

_He stayed quiet, not saying anything until Jeremy’s hold on him loosened._

_“Just miss hanging out. We’re both stupid busy, I feel like I hardly see you anymore, and God. I’d come around more, but as much as this is your space it’s Michael’s too, and–”_

_He sucked in a deep breath, hand clenching at his shirt now, preparing himself to ramble more, but Jeremy stopped him with a hand over his mouth._

_“Easy there, buddy. It’s okay!” He pulled him in for a small kiss. “I just worry, people are being assholes... of course you can come with me. I’d love to have you around.”_

_Matt opened his mouth, but before he could say anything the door opened and Michael walked in, freezing once he caught sight of them._

_“You guys gonna fuck? Cause I’ll leave.”_

_Jeremy and Matt stared at him then burst into laughter; they weren’t, but because they were dumb boy’s, Jeremy draped himself over Matt, who was quick to follow his lead and placed his hands on his waist._

_“Michael! I’m sorry you had to find out like this!” He threw his arm over his face._

_Michael’s smiled widened while he shook his head, closing the door behind him, and already changing into fresh clothes. “You guys are dumb, but seriously, do whatever once I leave. Gonna spend the evening with Amy and some of her friends.”_

_He and Matt let go of one another, sharing a worried look and motioning for the other to ask the question. Matt shook his head, hands up as he went to sit on Jeremy’s bed, so he bit the bullet._

_“Thought you two broke up?”_

_“We did.”_

_“Then...”_

_Flopping back onto his bed, Michael never took his eyes off the ceiling, sighing. “Before we broke up, we made plans to hang out with two of her friends from England or something.”_

_Jeremy made a face, crossing his arms over his chest as he made his way closer to Michael’s bedside. “You’re not obligated to do shit for her, y’know that right?”_

_“Yeah, yeah, but I don’t hate her, it just didn’t work out between us; as it turns out, her friends who are visiting? They recently broke up as well.” He turned to look up at Jeremy. “Same reason as us.”_

_Oh?_

_“So, it’s like some weird double date between people who’ve broken up? The fuck.”_

_At the same time, Jeremy shushed Matt while Michael flipped him off._

_“It’s complicated, not everyone falls in love with their childhood best friend and exchange hearts with them.” He pushed himself off the bed, yawning, “I’ll let you know how much of a trainwreck it’ll be, but until then.” Michael gave them a mock salute, rolling off his bed and gathering his things._

_When the door clicked shut Jeremy stared at where Michael had been, frowning, but Matt pulled  hi m  back, literally._

_“Gym?”_

_“Gym.”_

Of all the shocking things his boyfriend did, hearing Matt say he wanted to go to the gym had left Jeremy slack-jawed, and speechless to say the least. But when he remembered, it was also tied in with the same night Michael had come back fuming about the British fuck–who’d later become his boyfriend–made it all the more fun to bring up and tease both men, for different reasons, about it.  

 

Throwing his bag onto the counter, Jeremy went back into the bedroom and did one last look around the room. Seeing Matt sprawled out with the sheets this way and that, Jeremy snorted and made his way toward the bed. Kneeling, he leaned over and pinched Matt’s nose until he started squirming and whining. 

“Jer–”  

“Heading out to work, don’t sleep in too late, yeah?”   

Matt grumbled, squinting at Jeremy while he scooted further down under the sheets that weren't thrown off of him. They stared at one another for a second longer before Jeremy reached for his face with both hands and squished his cheeks together to give him a kiss.  

"At least get up in time for breakfast?”  

“...try...” 

- 

Other than the breeze rattling the leaves, and the metal of the swing set creaking with their movements, the park was dead silent. Cupping his hands over his mouth, Jeremy watched his breath dissipate and sniffled.  

“Matt?”  

“Hm.” 

Jeremy clenched and unclenched his fingers, wincing at the slight pain for not having moved them in a while, and gripped the metal chains while he dug his feet into the snow.  

“What do you think it’s like? The exchange.”  

He didn’t look back at Matt, but he felt his eyes on him, a silent question hanging in the air for him to explain what he meant.  

“I mean... will it hurt? Will it feel weird afterward?” 

“Have you asked your parents?”  

Jeremy made a face, finally looking at Matt. “When I was younger sure, but haven’t brought it up at all... I don’t know how to tell them I want to do the exchange with you...”  

Once more they didn’t say anything, but soon enough Matt pushed himself off the swing's seat and, shuffling through the snow, stood behind Jeremy, his hands over his on the chain. As he pulled him back, he let go, and every few seconds Jeremy felt Matt’s bigger hands on his back, pushing him on the swing.  

“I made her promise not to say anything, but... I told my mom.”  

His hands clenched around the chain, and he bit the inside of his check. “And?”  

Through his hat, he felt a pressure on the back of his head, when he turned around Matt’s lips met his forehead, but he didn’t stumble back like last time.  

“She thought it was cute.”  

“Didn’t laugh?”  

“Nope. Even said she was happy I–I have someone like you already... or something.” He trailed off, embarrassed, but Jeremy suddenly felt too warm despite the cold. In a blur of motion, and Jeremy wasn’t sure how he pulled it off, he tackled Matt into the snow, hugging him with all the strength he had.  

Under him, Matt laughed, his arms wrapping around him and for maybe too long they laid there in the snow. When the cold plus the still falling snow got to be too much, Jeremy pulled away from Matt’s warmth and pulled him up. Before they left the park to head home, he tugged on Matt’s hand and kissed him on the cheek.  

- 

"I’ve been meaning to ask, but has either Lindsay or Meg get a hold of you recently? I’m sure their surgery went as planned–Doc Z’s the best–but it’s not my place to check-in on them while they’re trying to rest. I feel like I'd be bothering them more than anything, so I figured I'd at least ask you since you and Gav are close to ‘em.” 

Michael grunted as he finished up with a customer before giving him his attention. “Yeah, Linds sent us some pictures the morning after. They’ve been quiet since getting home for the most part, but every now and again they’ll both kind of freak out to us about how cool it is.” He pulled his phone closer to himself, tapping through his messages.   

“Actually, now that you mention it, Linds told me to tell you thanks again for your help if I saw you today.” He turned his phone toward Jeremy, and his heart leaped. “They’re really happy, dude, like.  _Really_ happy, and Gav’s been all giddy about it too. He wants to visit them but knows it's best to leave them be for a while longer.”  

In the picture, both women were curled up into one another on what Jeremy guessed was their bed, their new jars in their laps, and their cats laid out beside them. His pulse picked up seeing the cute moment, and he could feel his heart beating faster from remembering he and Matt being similar once they’d got home, and rubbed at his chest. 

Jeremy nodded, pulling his eyes away from the picture. “So, no complications then?”  

Michael shook his head, smiling. “No worrisome complications at all.”   

“That’s-that’s great, awesome!”  

 

Waving goodbye to his last client of the day, he stretched his limbs out then started cleaning up. While doing so, he thought about what he should make for dinner, wondering to himself what they even had left in the fridge, and decided it’d be best to ask Matt first before he went crazy at the store buying all kinds of shit.  

Fumbling with his phone, Jeremy stopped when he noticed he had a few messages from the girls. Every message from Lindsay was of the cats in various states of sleep while one of the last ones had a message attracted to it.  

 **L:**  Thanks for thinking of us! We're doing great, sore and shit, but great nonetheless!!  

From Meg, he got a nice little message attached with a picture of their jars side by side, and either hers or Lindsay’s thumbs up caught in the frame as a blur.     

 **M:**  Michael said you didn’t want to bother us, and while we appreciate it, it’s totally cool to send a text or something! We’ve been settled back at home for a few weeks now and are still figuring out feelings and shit, but all messages of any kind are more than welcomed!  

 **M:**  Nadia was amazing, the sweetest doctor I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting! Thanks again for giving us her contacts!  

Feeling a small weight lifted from him, Jeremy nodded to himself, sending them both back messages wishing them well and he was glad to hear they were doing good.  

 

When he got home, he tackled Matt to the floor, laughing and cuddling closer to his boyfriend while Matt groaned and moaned about how he needed to stop with all the sneak attacking him with affection.    

“One day I’m gonna break something, and then you’ll be sorry!”  

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you, buddy, I hear you.”  

- 

As he straightened his suit out, Jeremy stared at his reflection, took a deep breath, and without looking away from himself, “Matt Bragg, I love you, you, beautiful bastard.”  

For as long as he could, he repeated himself in varying tones, and word variations, but each time he said anything, his face turned some sort of shade of red, and he had to look away from his reflection.  

 _Damn it._  

Really, it wasn’t anything new, they’d been saying I love you for years now, but it’d always been casually through text. Which was all good and dandy, and sure, maybe he was making it a bigger deal than it was, but it mattered to him. He needed Matt to understand how much he  _loved him._  That he wanted to give him everything he physically could, and spend the rest of his life with him. 

“Honey, don’t stress yourself out too much, hm.” 

His mom’s voice startled him, sending him in a flurry of limbs. Few things were more embarrassing than being caught by his mom as he talked to himself about how he was going to tell his boyfriend he loved him.  

“ _Mom!_ ”  

“Come now, you’re going to mess your suit up.” She walked further into his room and started straightening out his jacket for him, her smile never leaving her face as she hummed to herself.  

“...it’s our first prom...”  

“And whose fault is that? You’re the one who waited till senior year; besides,” she pinched his cheeks, “let it happen naturally, dear. Planning ahead will only stress you out more.”  

 

Jeremy didn’t end up saying it until their graduation, and his mom had been right. It didn’t go any way he thought it might’ve, but when he said it, he felt lighter.  

 

The last to leave their group for the night had been Michael and Amy, as they closed the door behind them before Jeremy could make himself comfortable back beside Matt, his boyfriend grabbed his waist, and buried his face in his neck. His arms squeezed him, and he didn't let up, even when Jeremy started complaining about being cold.   

“Hey, Jeremy.”  

“Come on Matt, it’s cold! How dare you deny me your warm–”  

“You’re my best friend, and I love the fuck out of you. From when you’re being a complete dick and smart-ass to when you’re a genuine nice fuck. We say dumb shit about putting up with each other, but I love it all... thanks for always thinking I'm good enough for you.”  

When his whole body went still, Matt’s arms tightened, and he rubbed his forehead against the back of his neck. While a part of him was playfully miffed Matt beat him to it, he was more upset with being able to hear how much Matt thought so little of himself. Ever since they started being vocal about dating, they’d spent plenty of time listening to other classmates, friends of friends’ and their parents, and even some teachers telling them they were adorable for wishful thinking in saying they were going to be together forever. And that wasn’t even counting what they felt needed to be said when the exchange was brought up, and they answered honestly.  

On top of all that, that was what people said to their faces. The number of times Jeremy had to hold himself back from punching some jerk off in the face for saying he could do better than Matt was in the hundreds. Matt was the one who could do, and deserved better than  _him_. 

He was the one who should be thanking Matt for loving him as much as he did.  

But at the end of the day, those people knew fuck all about either of them, and Jeremy didn’t give two fucks what they thought. All he knew was the last thing he wanted to hear from Matt was him implying he, of all people, was too good for him. He didn’t want to believe people were able to make him think he’d never be enough.   

Matt’s lips brushed against his skin causing the tension building in his body to fade away, and he let himself melt into Matt’s chest. He traced random patterns on his arm, gathering his thoughts, but when he felt Matt shaking some, everything poured out.  

“Y’know, I should be the one thanking you for thinking I’m good enough for  _you_ .” He leaned his head back against Matt’s shoulder, giving him more room to kiss, and chuckled as his growing  beard  tickled his skin. “I really do love you, Matt, and nothing anyone says– _ever_ –will change that.”  

Matt curled tighter around him and nodded while he peppered his shoulder in soft kisses, mumbling. “You’re stuck with me.”  

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”  

 

Watching as his mom fawned over Matt as she wheeled him to the car first, Jeremy sighed around a smile and allowed himself a moment to get comfortable in his own wheelchair. Without taking his eyes off them, he traced his finger around and around the lid of his jar, his leg bouncing as he got lost in thought about everything he’d have to do to make up missed classes; and wondering if he should bring his jar with him or leave it back in his room during the day when his chair started wheeling toward his mom’s car.  

Instinctively he clung to his jar while he squirmed around to see who was moving him and upon seeing Nadia, he relaxed. With one hand still on the jar, the other went over his chest.  

“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me... thought someone was stealin me away!”  

She snorted, patting him on the shoulder. “Sorry, sorry, but it’s best to keep you two as close as possible for a while longer.” 

“What do you mean? We’ve pretty much been glued at the hip for a month. What’re a few minutes?”  

“Ah, you’ll understand later. As you said, so far you guys have been spending all your time together since the surgery. It's not something I, or anyone else, can really prepare you for, but depending on how soon you both jump back into school life, you’ll be dealing with a lot of internal conflicts emotionally.”  

He turned back to look up at her. “How so?”  

Nadia shrugged, smiling down at him apologetically. “Depends, and it varies from couple to couple, person to person, but I've learned people go through a sort of loneliness and separation anxiety mix. You’re both now responsible for a lot more than just yourselves now, during the healing process, your brain is very aware of that.”  

“I see...” Jeremy twisted back around to see his mom leaning against the side of the car, her and Matt chatting while also tossing glances their way. Even from here Jeremy could see Matt’s fingers drumming against his thigh.  

“I’ll keep that in mind Doc, thanks for the heads up.”  

“Of course. Now rest up in the comfort of your home, I'm going to be in town for two more months, so if anything comes up, good or bad, feel free to contact me. Unless you’d feel more comfortable going back to your usual general doctor–” 

Jeremy laughed, loud. “No away! You’re the best, we’ll for sure come to you first if anything goes wrong, and even to just thank you again!”      

 

Hours later when they were settled back at his mom’s house–she insisted they stayed for at least two weeks before diving back into school–Jeremy struggled to keep his stupid mouth shut. It’d been too long since he and Matt had to sneak around his parents' house. Ever since they graduated, he thought he’d never have to do it again, and yet here he was, this close to having a heart attack.   

Shuddering, Jeremy whined when Matt took his hand not shoved in his mouth and placed it on his head, signaling for him to pull on his hair. And tug Jeremy did. The reaction was instantaneous, and Jeremy felt his core tightening from how much he was holding back. Right about now, he wished they were back at either one of their dorm rooms so he could praise Matt loud and clear. With each sharp pull, muffled moans made themselves heard and each one sent a shock up Jeremy’s spine all the way back down to his cock and balls.  

Shuddering, Jeremy whined when Matt took his hand not shoved in his mouth and placed it on his head, signaling for him to pull on his hair. And tug Jeremy did. The reaction was instantaneous, and Jeremy felt his core tightening from how much he was holding back. Right about now, he wished they were back at either one of their dorm rooms. With each sharp pull, muffled moans made themselves heard and each one sent a shock up Jeremy’s spine all the way back down to his cock and balls.  

While Matt sucked harder, Jeremy sunk his teeth into his hand, voice stuttering, “Fuck, Matt... I–m, I'mma come holy  _fuck_! I’m–” 

His cock twitched, and he sank further down into his bed as he rolled his hips up into Matt’s mouth, and held his face in place. 

_Fuck, it has been way too long._

 

The next morning Jeremy kept himself plastered to Matt’s back, trailing sleepy kisses from the base of his neck to as far as he could reach on his shoulder then back. His chest was still sore, but not nearly as bad as the first couple of weeks after the surgery. Now, it was a smaller ache that made him feel giddier and glowing. Though that might’ve been the post-sex afterglow feeling but that was neither here nor there.     

- 

When he and Matt met up with Gavin and Michael, Jeremy couldn’t help himself thinking sappy thoughts. Not everyone was as lucky as them, and looking at Matt, watching Michael and Gavin, and hearing about how Meg and Lindsay were healing along made him feel like a sap.  

He knew not everyone could or wanted it, but he really wished everyone could feel what he was feeling in some way at least once in their lives. They didn’t need the exchange to survive or truly be happy, but if he could go back in time, he’d do it all again starting with asking Matt out to feeling that first burst of overwhelming joy of having Matt’s heart in his hands. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ryan/Alfredo/Trevor story up next!  
> ♡Comments are appreciated!♡


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